Report: Patriots 'Sniffed Around' Idea of Trading For QB Kyle Allen
The New England Patriots are the closest to a rebuild as they have been in two decades. With Tom Brady and several other key players no longer on the team, it appears Bill Belichick and company are trying to get younger and save some money with the anticipation of making some big moves in 2021.
One of the positions they are penny pinching at is quarterback. With Jarrett Stidham still on his rookie deal, the team also opted to sign veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer to a one-year deal with a base salary of $1.05 million and the opportunity to earn up to $3.05 million by hitting his incentives. While those players aren't exactly sexy choices for fans who want to see a high level of QB play for the Patriots in 2020, they are what New England can afford at this point.
The Patriots reportedly don't plan on signing or trading for any mid-tier QBs that will also command cap hits in the $10-$20 million range for the 2020 season. However, the team apparently "sniffed around" the idea of trading for one talented QB in Carolina. No, I'm not talking about Cam Newton. I'm talking about Kyle Allen.
Here is what The MMQB's Albert Breer wrote about the Patriots' search for a QB this offseason:
"My belief is that the Patriots’ post-Brady plan has 2020 as a year to get younger and get finances straightened out, and both should be apparent in how they handle the quarterback spot," Breer wrote in his weekly mailbag. "One player I’d heard they sniffed around a little was Kyle Allen, who was traded from Carolina to Washington on Monday, and he’s another one that falls into the Stidham/Hoyer category economically."
Last season, Allen completed 62% of his passes for 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 13 games. He became the Panthers' full-time starter once Cam Newton went down with ailing shoulder and foot injuries.
Unfortunately, Carolina found another trade suitor for Allen, which is why they shipped him to the Redskins in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick. So, any chance New England had of acquiring him has now been diminished.
Allen is on the books for a $675,000 cap hit for 2020. Couple that with the talent he displayed last season in Carolina, and that explains why the Patriots at least discussed the idea of trading for the third-year player. But they missed out on him, so for the time being it looks like New England will role with Stidham and Hoyer as potential starters next season.
